Don Venuto's Sissies

"OK, dress, slip, shoes, socks, hair bow, three pair of panties and the purse." Helen said as she finished totally the invoice part of the card.

Mark heard that 'three pair of panties' when she said it but kept his reaction to himself. Three pair of panties, which meant there were two more in that bag that now held his clothes and shoes. His mother had bought extra panties? How odd this day was, Mark thought.

It was bright outside, too bright Mark thought as they made their way to their car. What was he doing Mark also thought as a small amount of traffic paused in front of the store to allow them to cross to the parking lot. He saw Ralph then standing off in the distance to their right but still in the parking lot with his mother. To Mark's shock Ralph was still dressed but without a wig. A boy in a dress and right there in the middle of the day. Mark squeezed his mother's hand more for the thought of the wig than for anything else.

"What?" Mark's mother asked and then realized that Mark was looking at Ralph. "I wouldn't have done that to you."

"I know!" Mark said.

It was the longest and shortest trip to and from town Mark had ever taken. Each light they stopped at a new kind of adventure with each light getting easier. The freeway hardly an adventure at all except that he could see his reflection in the widow when they darkened from the trees.

That bow peeking from either side made him smile. His hands folded in the folds of his dress and near the hem of it did as well. The tips of his Mary Jane shoes showing a little till he moved his feet forward more and then his purse in his lap. His, his, his, he mused. All of it now his.

"Penny for your thoughts?" His mother asked.

"Going to cost you a lot more than that." Mark said laughing.

"So, I'll owe you!" Mark's mother said.

"I think I'm nuts!" Mark said.

"Nuts? Why?" Mark's mother asked.

"Agreeing to stay dressed. This drive. The way I feel." Mark said.

It was that last part that caught Carol's attention.

"How do you feel?" Mark's mother asked.

"I'm not supposed to like this sort of stuff." Mark said flatly.

"And you catch yourself liking it a little." Mark's mother said as a statement and not a question.

"Yes." Mark said in frustration or at least hoping he sounded frustrated.

"My guess, and this is a professional opinion, is that you like it for the same reason we like it." Mark's mother noted.

"We?" Mark asked.

"We as in girls! Of course we like it. What's not to like? Silky panties are still silky panties on a girl. That slip moving about under a pretty dress? Heck yes we like it. You'd be nuts not to!" His mother noted with a laugh.

"Boys are not supposed to like this stuff!" Mark said.

"I know the rules. Good heavens, your grandmother had a fit when I brought you over for a visit in a frilly little dress that one time." Mark's mother said.

"MOM!" Mark said.

"Honey, you had just learned to walk. Way too long ago for you to remember and I'd gotten the dress from a friend. You'd spit up on yourself and ruined the outfit I'd put you in and she was going to loan me one of her daughters rompers until I asked to borrow that little dress. Couldn't help myself." Mark's mother said.

"But we're not supposed to..." Mark was going to state again that boys don't like this stuff but didn't finish.

"Actually honey the rules, as I know them, simply states that you're not supposed to SHOW that you like that stuff!" Mark's mother said.

"What? What's that supposed to mean?" Mark asked.

"Sweet heart, those rules, those rules no one writes down I might add, just mean you can't actually show that you like the way this stuff feels. Although, if you can be honest with me you'll agree that it's impossible not to like it. Sweetheart, you've got the same senses as a girl does, so silk, satin or a little touch of sugar and spice and everything nice has simply got to feel the same exact way for you as it does for us!" Mark's mother said flatly.

"Then why the rules?" Mark asked in frustration.

"Now that's the real question and I'm not sure to be honest with you. I'm guessing it's because a lot of boys would dress like this without those rules, and the ones that can't handle it, the ones who like following rules, just don't want that happening." Mark's mother said.

"You're guessing at that?" Mark said.

"Of course I am, but it's as good a guess as any. OK, so why do you think those rules are there?" Mark's mother asked.

"I don't know?" Mark said.

"So then, my opinion of this is valid then?" Mark's mother asked.

"As good as any I guess." Mark said.

"Then can I ask you something, just for the sake of argument and only between you and me?" Mark's mother asked.

"I guess?" Mark said with a touch of apprehension. He was already violating those unwritten rules big time.

"So does it feel good or not? I mean if you ignore those rules." Mark's mother asked.

"Maybe?" Mark said straddling the fence for his ego's sake.

"Does it feel good or not?" His mother asked.

"OK! Yes! Yes, it does!" Mark said throwing caution to the wind. A wind also, as it happens, that was making his hair move slightly on his right side. It felt really good he decided.

"Then that's really all we have to care about for now." Mark's mother noted happily. It made Mark even more comfortable suddenly. Comfortable enough to ask another question.

"Mom?" Mark asked.

"What?" His mother answered.

"Mom, why three pair of panties?" Mark asked.

"You caught that did you?" Mark's mother noted.

"Yes?" Mark said.

"Well, tell me this, how is that pair holding up?" Mark's mother asked and added, "don't want to embarrass you but since we are talking we might just as well explore this some more."

"So what was the question?" Mark asked back.

"How are those panties holding up?" His mother asked again smiling.

"Not very well I suppose." Mark answered blushing but figuring his mother already knew the answer and of course he also now knew why she'd gotten two more pair now.

"I rest my case!" Mark's mother said laughing.

"So, do you think the other boys, the guys that have to do this for Saturday, like it as well?" Mark asked anxious to change the subject.

"Absolutely. They are the same as you. To be honest with you, you and those other boys are the same as Don Venuto's son. The only difference is that he's effeminate and that unfortunately gives you guys reason enough to tease him." Mark's mother noted.

"I didn't. Never did." Mark said in his defense.

"But you never stood up for him and you could have. So could Ralph and even Steve?" His mother said.

"I wish I had now!" Mark said as he got out of the car just as the garage door came down.

"Well, it's never too late to change! And pardon my pun." Mark's mother said and added, "so what say we fix dinner."

"Aren't you worried I'll get this dress stained or something?" Mark asked as the sides of his skirt rubbed the right and left edges of the kitchen door frame.

"Yes, so grab that pinafore from the bag!" Mark's mother said.

"Where? A what?" Mark asked not having a clue what his mother was saying.

"It's in the bag. A pinafore! Goes with the dress. Girl's wear them... No, make that girls use to wear them to do their chores so they wouldn't get their dresses dirty." Mark's mother said.

"Which bag?" Mark asked.

"It's in the dress bag." Mark's mother answered.

Mark moved over to the guest closet now holding the bag and zipped the bag open finding the white cotton pinafore as his mother noted.

"It's like a dress?" Mark said pulling the soft satiny pink hanger out that held it.

"Supposed to look pretty as well as being functional. It's designed that way to cover the dress. Here!" Mark's mother said undoing the large sash allowing the pinafore to open. She slipped it over Mark and his dress before moving to the back of it to tie the sash into a bow.

"Another layer!" Mark said but not with the sarcasm he might have used.

"Girls and their layers!" Mark's mother said smiling as she moved to the refrigerator.

"Tell me about it!" Mark said smiling back as he added, "so what's for dinner?"

"Hey, you're the girl tonight! You tell me?" Mark's mother said as she paused at the refrigerator door, hesitating a bit more before she started to walk out of the kitchen door as she added, "that is when you get it cooked! As for me, I'm going to get me a book and read a bit."

Mark watched her go into the living room. He was tingling a little and short of breath. From Hell to Heaven he mused over the span of that couple of hours and wondering how it was he'd passed whatever threshold he'd passed. He didn't spin exactly but he did turn quickly as he moved.

He wasn't the only one tingling over the sensations of this day. Carol got that book but she didn't actually read any of it sitting there instead simply retracing their steps and what had happened. She was also wondering how she could get Mark's twin sister to stay around for a while or at least visit on occasion. It was nice having a girl around the house.

They ate a pork chop each, green beans and dinner roles with Mark setting the table, serving and doing the dishes after. When they did turn in there was no question that Mark would not have objected to wearing that dress again and that was the opinion of both had they shared their thoughts on the subject. Mark wanted to say so and his mother wanted to ask but neither did.

Mark woke feeling odd but smiled at the dress bag now holding his dress and slip on the back of his door. His Mary Jane shoes were resting on the closet floor with his lace socks sitting over them. He almost wished he could dress for school but buried that thought behind a snicker.

Ralph and he met halfway to the school. Neither talked much and neither talked about their outfits. Steve did show up on the walk, but he didn't join them as they reached the school.

"Mark!" Tracy called from the school yard as Mark and Ralph walked through the gate.

"Hey Tracy!" Mark said happy to see the girl he'd met in the dress store.

"This is Tracy!" Mark said to Ralph as he added, "she's new. This is Ralph."

"Hey Ralph! So what sort of dress you wearing Saturday?" Tracy asked.

"Don't want to talk about it!" Ralph said turning off to head for class.

"A little touchy!" Tracy said and than asked, "you OK or should I keep my mouth shut?"

"Nope! I'm OK!" Mark said.

"Thought so!" Tracy said.

"What do you mean?" Mark asked feeling slightly defensive suddenly.

"You're a cool guy!" Tracy said.

"Cool?" Mark asked.

"No hang-ups! You know, typical guy hang-ups! That's cool." Tracy said.

"Oh, I've got hang-ups! Plenty of them!" Mark said laughing.

"Maybe so, but not as bad as your buddy Ralph. You are my kind of guy." Tracy said smiling.

"Thanks." Mark said at a loss for words. Tracy didn't seem to mind what he was doing in the store although Mark wasn't sure how to talk about such things since he'd never talked of such things.

"Panties?" Tracy said as the started heading for class.

"What?" Mark said getting caught off guard.

"Did you get panties?" Tracy asked.

"I'm not saying!" Mark said matching that silly grin on her face but blushing besides.

"OK, try this... Wink once for no, twice for yes." Tracy said.

"No!" Mark said.

"OK, no need to get all paranoid. Just hope it was those fancy ones." Tracy said.

"Who said I got any at all?" Mark asked.

"You're face!" Tracy said laughing.

"Can we talk about something else?" Mark asked.

"Sure! How about a soda after school?" Tracy said.

"I can't." Mark said and stopped. He didn't want to say why but his mother was going to do his nails for the party tomorrow.

"Bummer!" Tracy said.

Mark, feeling frustrated that his 'no' would somehow put this budding relationship, with a girl he was suddenly fascinated over, at risk sighed and said: "OK! I mean if you must know! Nails! Mom's doing my nails tonight."

"Now see that! I'm telling you Mark, we were made for each other! As it happens I am an expert at doing nails. Coincidentally, I specialize in doing guys nails!" Tracy said.

"No you don't! You are a nut!" Mark said laughing.

"Maybe so, but if you say yes and come over to my place, it gets us that soda and you can still get your nails done?" Tracy said.

"I guess. I mean I could ask my mom and see if it's OK." Mark said.

"Great! Oh, oh, there's the first bell!" Tracy said as both started walking faster. They had three minutes before the second bell as Tracy added, "see you at lunch?"

"Sure!" Mark said as Tracy darted into her class.

Most of the conversation between Mark and Tracy covered small talk and a bit of their lives as they ate their lunch. Tracy's dress, when Tracy talked about Mark in that store again, was for a wedding Saturday although she teased Mark over the fact his dress was prettier than hers. Mark, by the second half of his day was smitten.

Tracy, by the second half of her day was positive Mark was a sissy. For Tracy that was a good thing! Sissy boys, Tracy once told another bisexual girl, is like having the best of both worlds. The fact that she and Mark were nearly the same size made it even better.

"Saw that girl in school today. Tracy? The one we met at the store. She's invited me for a soda at her place. Says she could do my nails if that's OK?" Mark asked after kissing his mother hello.

"She was cute! Sure!" Mark's mother said only slightly frustrated that she couldn't do Mark's nails.

"Thanks mom, see you at dinner." Mark said. He was feeling so odd as he walked briskly down the street. Not a date actually but close and Tracy was really cute. Although it was that odd part that had Mark on the verge of skipping. He was going to a girl's house to have his nails done. Now how many guys, in a hundred blocks of him could say that, he mused.

Even more odd how they met given he was in a girl's boutique wearing a dress when she introduced herself. He would have thought something like that would scare a girl away but it obviously hadn't. Mark found himself having to control his walk just so he wouldn't skip.

"Hey!" Tracy said and added, "I see you found my place!"

"We play ball in the park. I'm just on the other side." Mark said stepping into the house.

"Sis, this is Mark, the boy I told you about!" Tracy said to an older girl sitting in front of the television as Tracy added, "that's my sister Tammy."

Mark nodded frustrated on several levels not the least of which what it was Tracy might have said of him. He was also a little embarrassed by the fact there was a stranger that was going to be around while he got his nails done. There was also the realization, half way to Tracy's place, that he'd have to make his way home with his fingernails painted.

"Hey Mark! Nice to meet you!" Tammy said and added, "I thought you said he dresses like a girl?"

"Not me!" Mark said.

"Ignore her! She's teasing." Tracy said looking at her sister with a smile that eased some of the anxiety that had come with that remark.

"I'm sorry Mark. Couldn't resist. Tracy told me about meeting you in that dress shop and your party tomorrow." Tammy said still laughing a little and then added, "although, if you are interested, our aunt hasn't found a flower girl yet?"

"Tammy, will you stop!" Tracy said.

"OK, I'm done! Just ignore me from here on!" Tammy said turning her attention back to the television as she added, "anyway, it's nice to meet you Mark."

"Nice to meet you." Mark said trying to shake off the notion of why he was there and that little dig of Tracy's sister.

"So, your dress is pink?" Tracy said walking Mark to the kitchen.

"Yes." Mark said feeling odd again. His dress was pink she said and said it so casually.

"We can do pink to match your dress, but it might not since we don't have the dress here. Or, we can do a white? I'm thinking an off white with a little glitter? How's that?" Tracy said as she sat in front of a cosmetic bag and tray full of nail polish and tools.

Mark, seeing the bottles and knowing he was about to get his nails done, wanted suddenly to call it off although he was just as thrilled at the prospects of this. He was also worried about making it home. Just discussing the color made him giddy.

"You're the expert!" Mark said.

"White then! White with the glitter. Soda is in the fridge." Tracy said as she started moving the bottles on the tray. Mark moved to the refrigerator, opened it and found a coke. He popped the top as he turned back towards the table.

"Won't be able to do that anymore!" Tracy said smiling.

"Do what?" Mark asked not sure what Tracy was referencing.

"Open a soda that way. Have to teach you how to do what girls do when they've just spent twenty dollars on their nails." Tracy said.

"Oh." Mark noted. That made sense given he'd just used his nail to pop his soda open. In his defense though he added, "not going to be doing this again I hope."

"Now don't say that!" Tracy noted.

"Don't say what?" Mark asked.

"That you're not going to be doing this ever again." Tracy said.

"Why? I mean I'm just doing this for the party tomorrow?" Mark said.

"Why? Because, you never know when you might meet a girl that might like doing your nails! That's why?" Tracy noted with a snicker.

"Not likely!" Mark said but feeling suddenly dumb since it was clear Tracy meant herself.

"It could happen?" Tracy said smiling mischievously.

"You like guys that like getting their nails done?" Mark asked knowing full well that the answer should be absolutely not.

"Absolutely!" Tracy said.

"OK, so that's a little weird!" Mark said sitting down at the chair close to Tracy's. There was an open newspaper she'd put there before she began shaking the polish.

"Not really! Hey, like I said, I like guys that don't have all of those macho hang-ups." Tracy said.

"But not guys that actually like getting their nails done." Mark asked.

"The answer, again, is yes!" Tracy said and added, "give my a hand."

Mark extended his hand and felt faint at what was happening as he asked, "seriously?"

"Seriously. I mean what's wrong with a guy that can be a little feminine around a girl?" Tracy said.

"It's just that guys are not supposed to be feminine. I mean not on purpose." Mark said.

"That's a myth! I think that actually started when guys that liked being feminine on occasion wanted to hide it from everyone else!" Tracy said.

"I'm guessing there are guys that don't want to be feminine, even a little." Mark said not sure how to carry his end of the conversation. The word sissy had come to mind but that word felt uncomfortable. More than uncomfortable given what was about to happen.

"Never met any yet." Tracy said.

"What do you mean?" Mark asked.

"I've known plenty of guys, some as rough and tumble as you, but they didn't mind showing their feminine side." Tracy said and added, "makes all the difference as far as I'm concerned. I could be wrong but I honestly don't think, given the right circumstances, that there is a guy that wouldn't be willing to step over to the other side on occasion." That part about being rough and tumble made Mark feel better especially since it was added in his context. That other part about the right circumstances also hit a cord. Although in that same instant Mark did wonder if he'd be willing to do this simply for the sake of just doing it? His answer to that question, asked in silence, was now a yes.

"What are those?" Mark asked as Tracy pried open a small package of nail extensions.

"Glue on nails. I'm going to add these first then paint them." Tracy said as she began sorting out the nails by size.

"Oh." Mark said trying to sound calm. It wasn't what he'd expected and clearly they would extend his nails a lot as he added, "so how do you do things with nails that long?"